The Economic Impact of the Wake County Public School System

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) serves over 155,000 students in pre-K to grade 12 programs in 171 schools and with an annual budget of more than $1.4 billion.

It is among the top employers in Wake County. Given its size and significant task of equipping students with necessary knowledge and skills for the modern workforce and for success in post-secondary education, the economic impact of WCPSS is sure to be large. However, no specific measures of this impact were previously available.

WakeEd Partnership collaborated with WCPSS to commission a study from N.C. State University Reynolds Distinguished Professor Michael Walden. The goal was to determine what the economic impact of WCPSS on Wake County. The results are detailed below in an infographic, video and full study.